Drawer slide assembly

ABSTRACT

A drawer slide assembly including an elongated slide for securement underneath a drawer for coaction with a stationary guide mounted on a furniture piece, the guide being slightly stepped in the top surface thereof adjacent the front end and the slide having a slight generally square depression in the top wall thereof, also adjacent the front end to give a perceptible restraint to the person withdrawing the drawer but one which is easily overcome, and without unduly binding the drawer in its usual in and out movement.

United States Patent Gutner Dec. 16, 1975 DRAWER SLIDE ASSEMBLY Kenneth H. Gutner, 3285 Dato, Highland Park, 111. 60035 22 Filed: Sept. 25, 1974 211 Appl. No.: 509,313

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 312/348; 308/36 [51] Int. Cl. F16C 29/00 [58] Field of Search 312/345-348; 308/36, 3.8

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,647,271 3/1972 Alfred 312/348 X 3,658,394

4/1972 Gutner 308/3.8

Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or FirmDawson, Tilton, Fallon & Lungmus [5 7] ABSTRACT A drawer slide assembly including an elongated slide for securement underneath a drawer for coaction with a stationary guide mounted on a furniture piece, the guide being slightly stepped in the top surface thereof adjacent the front end and the slide having a slight generally square depression in the top wall thereof, also adjacent the front end to give a perceptible restraint to the person withdrawing the drawer but one which is easily overcome, and without unduly binding the drawer in its usual in and out movement.

3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,926,492

U.S. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,926,492

FIG. 7

PULL

TO STOP FIG. 8

Hul

H if [H1 PM" vh ll mau fi\ BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION A variety of devices have been provided'for preventing inadvertent removal of a draweiffrom the associated furniture piece, such as a dresser see for example Gutner US. Pat. No. 3,658,394. What has 'not been provided heretofore is a stop mechanism which develops a perceptible signal or feel to the person withdrawing the drawer that complete withdrawal is imminent so as to warn the person against further pulling yet one which can be readily overcome without the exertion of substantial force and further, one which does not increase the frictional resistance to the normal forward and back movement of the drawer.

Through the instant invention, wherein a slight step in the guide top surface adjacent to but spaced from the front end thereof and a slight depression similarly located in the top wall of the slide, the twin objectives of the prior art have been realized.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION The invention is described in conjunction with an illustrative embodiment, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partially in phantom of a section of a drawer employing the inventive sliding assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dresser drawer of the type seen in FIG. 1 but from the rear so as to further illustrate the character of the assembly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the drawer slide portion of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of the slide of FIG. 3 but with the element inverted so as to reveal the underside;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the guide element used in the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the sight line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing the engaged slide and guide with the slide being temporarily and limitedly restrained by the step in the guide; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but with the'parts in a slightly different configuration, i.e., the drawer now being further removed so that the slide depression has passed beyond the guide step.

In the illustration given, and with particular reference to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 designates a dresser drawer which is equipped with a front handle as at 11 and a slide element 12 adapted to move on a stationary guide 13 (see particularly FIG. 7). In FIG. 2, the same drawer is seen, but from the rear wherein the slide 12 is equipped with an upturned portion 14 for securing the rear end of the slide 12 to the drawer and thereby positions the slide against the undersurface of the drawer 10.

The guide member 13 (see FIG. 5), in the illustration given, is generally I-shaped in cross-section, with the upper portion of the cross section, i.e., that engaging the slide 12 being of a generally T-shape. Correspondingly, the slide member (see FIG. 3) is generally channel-shaped and is equipped with a generally square depression 15 in the top wall 16 this being adapted to cooperate with the step 17 (see FIG. 5) provided in the top surface l8 of the guide l3.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide 12 is seen to have side walls 19 which are integral with and depend from the top walll6, The side walls terminate in inturned flanges 20 and are integral therewith. Adjacent the rear end of the slide 16, ribs 21 are provided which extend generally there around, providing an advantageous rigidification.

The depressed. portion 15 is advantageously developed by. stamping and in a metal guide made of l8 gauge or lighter weight steel is advantageously of the order of. about one-thirtysecond inch. By providing the depression of substantial width, i.e., extending from one side to the other of the top wall 16 and having a corresponding length, there is developed sufficient bearing surface so that the weight of the drawer, when supported on the depressed portion 15 does not create excessive resistance to the normal drawer movement forward and back within an associated furniture piece.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the guide which is of the type described in greater detail in our co-pending application, Ser. No. 372,228, filed June 21, 1973, and reference may be had for additional details of construction not seen herein. The top surface 18 of the guide 13 is generally flat, notably in the front end portion 22 and the rear end portion 23, viz., these sections being essentially coplanar except for the extreme forward end portion as at 24 which is slightly inclined downwardly.

To create the step 17, we develop a slight, but gradual depression 25 (extending from the point 25a and which also extends, at its nadir, a depth of about onethirtysecond inch below the top surface 18.

In operation, the combined elements (as can be appreciated from consideration of FIGS. 7 and 8), develop an effective but slight restraint to additional drawer movement when the drawer is virtually removed from the associated furniture piece. In FIG. 7, the direction of drawer movement is designated by the arrow 26 which has brought the depression 15 into contact with the step 17.

In FIG. 8, the curved arrow 27 has indicated that a slight lifting force has been applied to the drawer followed by a further pull which has resulted in the depression 15 being raised over the limited step 17, permitting complete withdrawal or removal of the drawer from the associated furniture piece.

I claim:

l. A drawer slide assembly for guiding a drawer during movement in and out of a furniture piece and for indicating when the drawer is almost withdrawn therefrom, comprising:

an elongated guide adapted to be mounted in said furniture piece with the length thereof extending generally from the front to the back of said furniture piece, said guide having a portion of its cross section in the form of a T to be partially embraced by a drawer slide, and

an elongated slide adapted to be mounted against the drawer under side in sliding, embracing relation to said guide, said slide having a top wall with side walls depending therefrom and inwardly extending side flanges located a spaced distance below said top wall whereby said embracing relation is achievable, said guide having a top surface equipped with a step extending transversely thereof and positioned adjacent to but spaced from the front end of said guide, said slide having a depressed portion in the top wall thereof positioned adjacent to but spaced from the 2. The structure of claim 1 in which each of said step and depressed portion has a depth of the order of onethirtysecond inch. said depressed portion extending substantially over the slide top wall widthv 3. The structure of claim 1 in which said guide top surface is relieved to provide a gradual depression in approaching said step from the rear the portion generally coplanar with the portion of said top surface rear- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CER IIFICATE OF CORRECTIGN 3 926.492 Dated December 16. 1975 X wzcmw'ri) Kenneth Gutner It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 8: insert-"of said top surface forward of said step being" after "portion" D Signed and Scaled thus second Day of March 1976 [SEAL] e Attest:

- RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN I Arresting Officer I Commissioneruj'PaIents and Trademarksi r I l i I 

1. A drawer slide assembly for guiding a drawer during movement in and out of a furniture piece and for indicating when the drawer is almost withdrawn therefrom, comprising: an elongated guide adapted to be mounted in said furniture piece with the length thereof extending generally from the front to the back of said furniture piece, said guide having a portion of its cross section in the form of a T to be partially embraced by a drawer slide, and an elongated slide adapted to be mounted against the drawer under side in sliding, embracing relation to said guide, said slide having a top wall with side walls depending therefrom and inwardly extending side flanges located a spaced distance below said top wall whereby said embracing relation is achievable, said guide having a top surface equipped with a step extending transversely thereof and positioned adjacent to but spaced from the front end of said guide, said slide having a depressed portion in the top wall thereof positioned adjacent to but spaced from the slide front end to engage said step during drawer withdrawal movement, said depressed portion being sized and arranged in conjunction with said step to give a perceptible restraint to the person withdrawing the drawer that further withdrawing movement will disengage the drawer from the furniture piece but which restraint is readily overcome by slight additional pulling force, said depressed portion also being arranged with sufficient cross sectional area to distribute the drawer weight on said guide top surface with limited resistance.
 2. The structure of claim 1 in which each of said step and depressed portion has a depth of the order of one-thirtysecond inch, said depressed portion extending substantially over the slide top wall width.
 3. The structure of claim 1 in which said guide top surface is relieved to provide a gradual depression in approaching said step from the rear, the portion generally coplanar with the portion of said top surface rearward of said depression. 